When You Hope You're Not Saying Goodbye
by JayaLynne
Summary: Pre-Battle of Endor, for the only two who've done this before (Mini scene 2, 4 ABY)


Luke walked into the hangar bay and took a deep breath. He could feel the low buzz of nervous excitement across the bay. Pilots were checking and rechecking their fighters. Maintenance crews were checking and rechecking pipes and wires and panels. Commanders were checking and rechecking their units.

Luke had noticed over the past year that his sensitivity to others' emotions had grown considerably. He wasn't sure if that was normal or if he was, in fact, especially sensitive. But one set of emotions stood out like a beacon. Luke looked to the far side of the bay and knew Wedge was standing somewhere in the cluster of mostly X-wings. He had only seen Wedge twice in the last year - a huge change from seeing him every day for three years - but Wedge's presence in the Force was as strong as ever to him. Luke walked over to the Squadron.

Captain Tycho Celchu, Rogue Squadron executive officer, popped out from behind an A-wing fuselage. "Luke!" Tycho stepped over some boxes with a big smile on his face and gave Luke a hug. "Wedge said you made a guest appearance at the briefing."

"Yeah, I just got in. Had to run an errand first," Luke said. "How is everyone?"

Tycho shrugged. "You know. Nervous. But ready to go." Tycho glanced behind him. "Wedge is really nervous, but trying to hide it."

"Yeah," Luke said.

"The only one of us who's done this before."

"Right."

"Wedge got us re-designated as Red Squadron for this mission."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "He did?"

"Yeah," Tycho said. "I think he's been second guessing himself on it though. He's back that way," Tycho said, pointing behind him.

"Yeah, I'll go talk to him. Thanks," Luke said. Luke picked his way through some boxes and under wings. He could hear Wes's voice off to his right. He'd have to remember to say hi to him and Hobbie too. Luke remembered he didn't really know anyone else in the Squadron anymore. He saw Wedge standing under his X-wing, pretending to make some notes on a data pad. "Hey, Wedge," he said.

Wedge whipped around and his face brightened. He leapt over some boxes and gave Luke a big hug. "I saw you come into the briefing, but you looked busy."

"Yeah, I had to get a handle on Han's plan."

Wedge held on to the hug a few extra seconds then finally let go. "I wish you were coming up with us," he said.

"Tycho said you got the Squadron re-designated as Red Squadron," Luke said.

"Yeah," Wedge said. "I just, I thought, I don't know. I wanted... I mean, it's almost too late to change it back, I just..."

"It's a good way to honor them," Luke said. It's okay to leave it."

"Yeah," Wedge said. "I just don't want it to be the same..." Wedge took a breath. "I wish you were coming up with us," he said again.

Luke gave him a small smile. "Hey, I'm going to take down that generator and make your lives easy," he said.

Wedge smiled. "You better." Wedge's smile dropped a bit. "I asked Leia where you were when she got back and she said you had to do something else first. I assumed you went back to your training. I didn't expect to see you here at all."

"Well, I did go back to Dagobah," Luke said. "But I didn't have to stay. Yoda said my training was complete."

Wedge's eyes widened. "Complete? Um," Wedge scratched his head, "I'm obviously not the expert, but I would think a Jedi needs more than two months of formal training to be complete."

"If I had to make a bet on it," Luke said, "I'd bet on your side."

Wedge frowned. "What does that mean?"

Luke shrugged. "I guess I don't really know. I mean, I don't know how long training is supposed to be." Luke took a breath. "In any case, Yoda died."

Wedge's eyes went wide again. "Wait, while you were there?"

Luke nodded. "Mm hm."

Wedge put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "Oh Luke, I'm sorry. Did...did they at least leave you anything? Books, materials?"

Luke shook his head. "Not really. There was that stash of stuff I found at Ben's house on Tatooine, you remember I told you about the thumb print?"

"Yeah, that was a little creepy," Wedge said.

"And I'm sure the Emperor didn't destroy everything. There must be some stuff out there, hidden out there. I'll just have to figure out how to find it. Somehow." Like shrugged. "Next project," he said.

"Yeah," Wedge said.

"There was a lot of stuff I was told," Luke said, "that I'll have to sort through at some point."

"Can I help?" Wedge said.

Luke smiled a bit. Where most people would wish him luck, even if they didn't understand, Wedge would always offer to help. And if there was anyone in the universe he could tell, and it would be okay, it was Wedge. "It's kind of complicated," Luke said.

Wedge nodded. "You'll have to tell me about it later then."

"Mm hmm." The last syllable caught in Luke's throat. He'd heard those words before. 'We'll hear all your stories when we get back.' And then not everyone came back. Luke looked away, hoping Wedge's concerns about repeated events weren't valid.

More voices floated in from the side, catching their attention. "You really need to take her." "Look, it's fine, I don't have to." "Well, I'm not flying her." "There are other ships I can take."

"What's that all about?" Wedge asked.

"Oh," Luke said, "Han's been trying for the past hour to convince Lando to take the Falcon to lead the attack. He and Chewie aren't flying it and it's fast."

"Ah," Wedge said. "Didn't Lando used to own the Falcon?"

"Yeah."

"How did Han get it?"

"Won it in a card game, I think?"

Wedge frowned. "Lando doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would bet his ship."

Luke shrugged. "You're the Sabaac player, not me."

"I bet it's a great story though."

Luke smiled. "You'd probably have to ask Chewie if you want anything accurate."

Wedge smiled back. "I believe you."

Luke watched Han and Lando walk off, continuing their back and forth, and realized it was time for him to go too. He looked at Wedge. "You ready?"

Wedge shook his head. "No. But that's okay."

Luke reached over and gave Wedge a hug. "Take care of yourself," he said.

Wedge hugged him back. "You too."

Luke gave Wedge one last pat on the back, then turned and picked his way back over boxes and under wings. He nearly got bowled over by the boundless energy of Lieutenant Wes Janson. Luke exchanged hugs and hellos and good lucks with him and Lieutenant Hobbie Klivian, who had come up behind Wes. As Luke finally made his way up the ramp to the shuttle Tydiriun, he almost wished he was going up with them.


End file.
